McDonald’s Patricia Diaz: “More and More Latinos are Becoming Football Fans”

Hispanic's passion for sports does not only have to be about soccer. At least that is what QSR giant McDonald tries to convey to Hispanic consumers through its "Game Time Gold" Campaign. "We know that more and more Latinos are becoming football fans. In fact, Nielsen recently reported that 1.5 million Hispanics watched NFL games during the 2014 season. We also know that our Hispanic consumers are still loyal soccer fans, too," Patricia Diaz, Director of U.S. Hispanic Marketing for McDonald’s USA, tells Portada.

Patricia Diaz, Hispanic Marketing Director, McDonald's

For Latinos, the word fútbol may mean more than just soccer – it’s passion. Fútbol Americano is a sport they are learning to love, too. In fact, there are millions of Latino football fans in the United States. McDonald's Patricia Diaz says that "with the Game Time Gold sweepstakes and our partnership with soccer commentator “El Perro” Bermúdez, we tap into the excitement of the NFL in a culturally relevant way and encourage Hispanic consumers to celebrate sports in a way that’s true to them," says Patricia Diaz, Director of U.S. Hispanic Marketing for McDonald’s USA."

Diaz claims that the Game Time Gold sweepstakes bring Latino family and friends of all ages together in celebration of football.: "Through our influencer partnerships with 'El Perro' Bermúdez, Danilo Carrera and Adriana Monsalve, we’ve been able to reach Hispanic football fans across all demographics on social media," Diaz notes.
Are all Hispanics both Spanish-dominant and the more acculturated ones American Football lovers? Not necessarily according to some experts. "Knowledge of American football has always been an acculturation rite of passage, if you will, for many first-generation immigrants. By learning the rules of engagement, discerning the lexicon of football, and ultimately becoming a fan of a specific team, immigrants engage culturally, not just linguistically, to the U.S. It is a key acculturation milestone," says Maria Lopez Knowles, Chief Marketing Officer, at Entravision Corporation.

Knowledge of American football has always been an acculturation rite of passage.

Enter 'El Perro' (The Dog)

Enrique Bermúdez, “El Perro”, The Dog

Enrique Bermúdez, better known as “El Perro” (The Dog), is a sportscaster, commentator and analyst of live games and pre- and post-game shows on the Univision Deportes Network, Univision and UniMás TV networks. According to Bermudez, "It is well known that Hispanics are very passionate about their family, culture and sports. The energy and emotions of American football have been very easily adopted by Hispanic audiences. Each year we see more and more Hispanic soccer fans and that is not something that should surprise us."
"Passion for fútbol is in our blood. When we sing and celebrate together, it all comes from the same place, it does not maker if your team uses helmets or shin guards."

Passion for fútbol is in our blood. When we sing and celebrate together, it all comes from the same place, it does not matter if your team uses helmets or shin guards.

How McDonald's Infuses Passion for Fútbol in Fútbol Americano

McDonald's is basing its Game Time Gold campaign on the fact that watching sports with family and friends is a cultural experience for Latinos, and the current NFL season is no exception. To celebrate this passion for sports, McDonald’s USA is taking fútbol Americano one step closer to the cultura Latina by:

Hosting the “Game Time Gold” sweepstakes last November with prizes including $500K weekly and tickets to the Super Bowl 50.

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